Little Boy Lost
by Eleven Eleven
Summary: No one thinks I know, no one thinks I care. I’m just the guy everyone loves to hate.
1. Awaken

A/N. OK...yet another wonderfully weird, warped and wacky instalment in 'The FanFiction Authored By Cherry Girl'. Having finally seen the infamous Halloween episode of In A Heartbeat late last year, (and having taken a liking to J. Adam Brown aka Kenny. Don't ask!), I decided to branch out on the character of Kenny and his story. OK, before you people all bombard me and question my sanity and brand Kenny as a jerk, let me state that I happen to think Kenny was a very interesting character. I will write about him no matter how much all of you hate him. You are under no obligation to read this story if you well and truly hate this character. I'm totally fine with people not reading this story because of that. I am not OK with people reading this out of their own free will, and then going on to flame the story.  
  
Thanks to MM, my beta reader.  
  
OK let's see, story described, warning issued, long author's note achieved, beta reader thanked. Check, check, check and check. Ready to read?  
  
Little Boy Lost  
  
Awaken  
  
Fuzzy images met my eyes as I slowly blinked them open, with slight difficulty. My whole body ached and I felt like I'd been run over by several trucks. With my eyelids finally unglued, I found myself staring at an extremely plain white wall. I gradually realized it was the ceiling, and I was on a bed that smelt weird.  
  
"Honey? You're awake. Are you OK?"  
  
I turned stiffly towards the voice and found myself facing my mother. She looked fraught and tired. Her eyes were bloodshot and her nose was blotchy. I tried to smile at her, but my lips wouldn't co-operate.  
  
"I'm fine," I replied, almost shuddering at the sound of my own voice. It was scratchy, raw and croaky and it reminded me of rusty nails on a blackboard, like my voice was clawing at the insides of my throat, trying to get out.  
  
"Lie down, honey, lie down," my mother whispered, and only then did I realize that I had been trying to sit up, without too much success.  
  
My mind was starting to clear, but I had no immediate recollection of anything. I had absolutely no idea of what was going on. It was obvious I was somewhere, but my question was, where? I writhed around on the bed, trying to make myself more comfortable. My left leg felt strangely restricted, almost like it was being suspended or something, but I couldn't turn my head enough to look.  
  
"What happened?" I asked throatily.  
  
"Well, you had a bit of an accident. You and Jamie were climbing the water tower, and the ladder broke and you fell," my mom's lips trembled slightly as she stopped speaking and rested her hand on mine.  
  
That was news to me. Climbing the water tower? With Jamie? I didn't seem to remember anything. Delving deep inside the depths of my memory, all I could recall was Caitie smearing my face with make-up. I didn't have a clue as to why she would have been doing that.  
  
"Where am I?" I half-whispered.  
  
"Hospital."  
  
It was only one word, but it seemed to choke my mom, grabbing her around the neck. She was sobbing now, quietly, in an effort to stem her tears, but to no avail. Her hand tightened around my own.  
  
"Your leg's broken, and you have some bruising. You had a concussion. You were unconscious for three days. But I'm so glad you're OK," she wailed softly, looking down at me through her tear-glazed eyes.  
  
I knew what she was thinking. I could've died, if I had hit my head hard enough. I could've died. In that one swift instant, my life could've been over. But I was still here. Did that make me lucky? Or had fate intervened with my intentions? Had there been some underlying motive when I made the rather stupid decision to climb the tower? Had I been aware of the risks involved? Had I known of the dangers? If only I could remember what had been going through my mind...  
  
My eyelids started to flutter and I felt myself succumbing to slumber. Although, how on Earth I could be tired after three straight days of being unconscious, was beyond me.  
  
"Honey?"  
  
Now my mother sounded a little panicky. Gripping my hand in hers, she peered at me worriedly with wide eyes.  
  
"I'm fine," I managed to slur. "Just sleepy."  
  
It was amazing how fast the sleepiness was shooting through me. It was affecting every part of me, forcing me to let go and forget everything. But I didn't want to forget! I wanted to know exactly what had happened to me.  
  
"Just sleepy," I repeated, blinking my eyes open one last time, to see my mother's forehead creased with concern.  
  
I was aware of her saying something, her lips moving slowly, her voice surrounding me, but I was deaf to her words. Steadily, I allowed sleep to lead me further and further away from everything, into the darkness and calm of an unconscious mind.  
  
Disclaimer- Even though almost a year has passed since I started writing here, I am no closer to owning anything In A Heartbeat related.  
  
A/N. It is definitely good to be back. It's a new year, and I'm making an effort to branch out on my writing styles, although I'm not too sure that I'm making any progress. Hope everyone had a good holiday. If you did read this, you might find it a bit weird, and that's all fine. I'm just writing what comes to mind, so be prepared for scary and hideous times up ahead!  
  
For those of you who haven't seen A Night To Remember, the person who plays Kenny, appears in the movie Snow Day, makeup-less, meaning he doesn't have the really cool ghoulish face. :-( He's not really a main character, but for some reason, he's featured prominently on the front cover, while the main character is in the background. He may have done this movie before his IaHB appearance, because he looks a little younger, but personally, I think he looks better with makeup on. Can anyone give me any info on him? 


	2. Pissed

A/N. Je suis mécontente. Je n'arrive pas à me concentrer, parce-que...je ne sais pas. D'accord...OK, I'm really sorry for that. I've been feeling a bit pissed about some stuff, so I was pretty inspired for this chapter. If anyone's actually reading this, I thank you. I understand people may not be interested in the character I have chosen to write about.  
  
Disclaimer- I'd like to meet James. He played Kenny. However, the chances of that happening are about the same as the chances of owning anything to do with In A Heartbeat...isn't life depressing?  
  
To: MM, Thank-you From: CG.  
  
Pissed  
  
"OK, which color?"  
  
I looked at the two tubes Caitie held up before me. They looked the same to me, a kind of off-white, pale, almost grayish color.  
  
"I don't care," I shrugged nonchalantly. "Any."  
  
Caitie sighed as if I had let the entire nation down or something, but made the decision herself. She unscrewed one of the tubes and squeezed an excessive amount of the thick paste onto some sort of flat pad.  
  
"You sure you have enough?" I asked, sarcasm dripping from my every word.  
  
"Your face is practically the same color as this. I need a lot to make a difference," she replied matter-of-factly, busily wiping the white-gray blobs she had spilled on the bench.  
  
I ignored the comment about my face. Years of enduring the countless remarks about my unusually pale skin meant I could now automatically ignore them. It still irked me slightly, but only very slightly. Besides, who was Caitie to speak? Without her usual trowel full of makeup, she was Ms. Ghost herself. Not that her Gothic look really helped anyway.  
  
"Close your eyes."  
  
I shut my eyelids as she swiped the gunk onto my forehead and began to smooth it over my facial features. The makeup was cold and slimy, and as Caitie evened it out, it started feeling like a thick, greasy mask. I could almost feel it seeping into my skin, probably poisoning me with its toxic contents.  
  
"This paste comes off, right?" I asked cautiously, moving my lips very little in case the stuff went into my mouth.  
  
"It's grease paint, and of course it comes off," came the exasperated answer.  
  
I decided to keep my mouth shut and let her carry on with whatever she was doing to my face.  
  
"Open your eyes," was the next command, and I silently did so.  
  
Staring straight at my makeup artist, I observed the way she worked. Caitie was extremely meticulous, at least when it came to transforming people into freaky-looking weirdos for Halloween. She muttered under her breath as she re-did my eyes over and over again, often stabbing me accidentally.  
  
"OW!" I wrenched away from the black eye-lining pen, or whatever she called it, clutching my damaged eye, for the tenth time or so.  
  
"I'm sorry!" Caitie yanked me back into place unsuccessfully, sounding anything but. "I'm sorry! But you kept blinking! I told you not to!"  
  
"Could you at least try not to blind me?!" Moisture threatened to fall from my red eye, and I hurriedly wiped my hand across my face before reluctantly sitting back down for some more torture.  
  
"Kenny! Look what you did!"  
  
"I can't see my own face, can I?" I snapped back, scowling.  
  
Caitie held up a small mirror and I stared at my image. It was not a pretty sight. There was a big smudge where I had wiped my hand across my eye, and the black stuff that she'd been applying was smeared all over my cheek. The gray stuff had mingled with it and together, the two combined to add their own horror effects to my face. Plus, my eyes were all bloodshot.  
  
"Leave it."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Leave it like this."  
  
"Are you crazy? You look like a living dead exhibit who escaped the freak show!"  
  
"So, what? It's Halloween."  
  
"Yeah, and Jamie is gonna have to resuscitate all the people who go into cardiac arrest today when they see you. Stop moving. And don't blink."  
  
Half-heartedly, I turned back to her and allowed her to undo the damage. Her comment made me think of something.  
  
"Where is James anyway?"  
  
"I wouldn't have a clue," Caitie murmured absently, smearing something even greasier than before onto my cheek. "He said he'd be here later. He's probably at home, sleeping."  
  
"Yeah, right," I snorted derisively. "Or more like, hanging with the geek squad. He'd better be here later. He's getting way too attached to them. It wouldn't look good at all, one of us turned into a goodie-goodie."  
  
Caitie stayed silent, and I knew she agreed with me, but she wasn't gonna say so. She'd never admit that I was right about Jamie, especially when it came to his do-gooding antics with the superficial airheads who called themselves EMTs or whatever.  
  
James Waite. I'd known him since the first grade, when we fought over Martin Hensley's dessert. No-one had won; the teachers had separated us before anything barely happened, but ever since then, we'd been friends. Sorta.  
  
Until this year, that is. I'd hardly wanted to associate with him anymore, when his community service sentence was passed, because I knew that it marked the beginning of change. And I was damn right. James officially became a default member of 'the others', these people being those who were, put simply, not us, and his time was consumed with his sacred squad. As far as I'm concerned, he's almost an outcast amongst the outcasts.  
  
If there's another outcast within our so-called group, it's perhaps the Gothic Queen herself, Caitie Roth. She's a disappointment, in some sense, because she has direct connection to one of 'the others'. Apparently, she and the blonde cheerleader have been lifelong best friends, although how they could remain so, was something I failed to comprehend. Still, best friends or not, Caitie was getting way too involved with the other two morons her friend worked with. She may not have been very friendly with them, but she was friendlier than any of us excluding Jamie, who also had to work with them, and that was too friendly in my opinion.  
  
"Hey guys!"  
  
Caitie and I turned to look down the alley. Roxie 'Peroxide Head' Beauton, for obvious reasons, was sauntering down the lane towards us.  
  
"Hey, Roxie," Caitie waved her over before returning to her handiwork.  
  
Roxie slumped onto the bench and peered at my face. She made no effort to stem her laughter, giggling and gesturing towards me. I looked at Caitie, who was grinning guiltily, before reaching over and snatching up the mirror. Words utterly failed me as I took in my reflection. Caitie had painted me up like some drag queen who was well past his show days.  
  
"What the f-" I started to yell before Caitie cut me off.  
  
"Language!"  
  
Fuming, I grabbed the towel and rubbed my face vigorously, feeling the rough material, raw and merciless against my skin.  
  
"Kenny! Stop it!" Caitie tried to pull the towel out of my hands, but I'd had enough.  
  
"You just had to do this, didn't you?! Very funny! Ha ha! You know what? I don't need this shit!" I threw the towel onto the ground and marched off towards the street, leaving a stunned silence behind me.  
  
It probably was a very shocking moment for the other two. I was usually the impassive one, and I hardly ever lost the plot. However, I'd been feeling pissed all morning, ever since Caitie had called and suggested we get together and do something for Halloween, like we do every year. That would've all been good, except firstly, Brianne had pulled out, saying she needed to work on something, and that her art was calling her, whatever the hell that meant. Secondly, Jamie had been on duty and was unable to give a clear-cut answer as to whether or not he'd be joining us. EMT duties. That just irked me even more. I mean, what was more important: the stupid squad, or his friends? Thirdly, to really top my day, my father, who I'd already paid my obligatory monthly visit, had unexpectedly dropped by, intent on spending more time with his only son, out of his fatherly goodness. I wasn't dumb though. I knew it was only because he felt guilty about leaving mom and me. I had no intention of spending the day with him, and as it was, he had ended up arguing with mom, unaware that I'd declined his offer. And now this. I mean, was the world really against me or something? Had I really deserved the crap I'd been receiving lately?  
  
I caught my reflection as I passed a window. It kinda made me shudder to see myself with blue stuff above my eyes and pink stuff on my cheeks, while the rest of my face was white, gray and black.  
  
"Kenny?"  
  
I felt a hand on my shoulder and stood rigid, refusing to turn around.  
  
"Kenny, I'm sorry. I really am."  
  
Caitie Roth actually sounded like she was genuinely apologizing to me, a first for her. I hesitated, but stayed where I was, my gaze firmly fixated on the road.  
  
"Kenny? Just come back, and I'll get it off for you," Caitie gave a slight tug at my elbow, and at the last second, I let her lead me back.  
  
Roxie was eyeing me curiously, and as I sat back down, I saw Caitie shoot her a warning glance, but I pretended not to notice. Roxie just shrugged and climbed off the bench. Shifting through the small pile of makeup on the table, she collected various items, including a tube of the stuff Caitie had been putting on me, except hers was red.  
  
"Kenny, can I use your bathroom?" she called over her shoulder, as she made her way across the street towards my house.  
  
I didn't bother answering her, and as she disappeared from view, I knew she didn't expect one. It was like, she knew I wouldn't care. No one ever thought I cared. Sometimes, it seemed like my friends didn't know me at all.  
  
A/N. Weird place to end and all, I know. OH MY GOD! I WILL SCREAM IN A MINUTE!!! *screams* I'm so pissed, that it's not funny. I think I should just bury myself under a mountain of maths homework. Maybe after that, I won't be so pissed. Screaming really helps too, but you sometimes end up with that raw, scratchy feeling in your throat afterwards...or maybe that's just me. Anyway, thank-you for reading. Hope to get some feedback, (no flamers please), and I'll see you all next chapter. 


	3. Traitor

A/N. My motivation to write has disappeared once more. This was written quite a while ago. Anything I put up these days was written a while ago.  
  
Disclaimer- I hereby declare that I do not claim ownership of anything or anyone I write about. The characters of Roxie and Robbie are actual people in the episode A Night To Remember, named so in this story by me.  
  
Thanks to MM for beta-reading.  
  
Traitor  
  
I sat watching Caitie apply make-up to Robbie's face. We were almost ready.  
  
"...and then Brianne just stormed off on me, like I'd insulted her big-time or something," Roxie was saying.  
  
My gaze flickered to her, as she stood against the brick wall, checking her reflection in a small mirror. Roxie had covered her face in red stuff, and with the red robes, she was pretty much the image of the Devil himself, except one with peroxide hair. Her hair was looking freakishly white these days, and we'd told her to quit with the bleach, but did she listen? Obviously not.  
  
"Maybe she just needs time to herself," Caitie suggested, the golden beads on the head-thing she was wearing, rattling as she spoke.  
  
Roxie snorted and turned to Jamie, who had arrived only minutes earlier.  
  
"Aren't you gonna get changed or something?"  
  
Jamie looked up and shrugged. I'd noticed that he'd been extraordinarily quiet ever since he turned up, like he'd been contemplating something. Either that, or being moody.  
  
"I don't think I'll dress up this year," he said finally.  
  
"Why not?" Roxie asked curiously, as Caitie and Robbie looked over as well.  
  
A silence prevailed as we all waited for Jamie's answer, and I couldn't help but wonder if they'd have the same reaction if I'd decided not to dress up. Somehow, I didn't think so.  
  
"I didn't bring anything," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
"Well, Kenny's sure to have something at his house," Caitie offered. "You could borrow an outfit."  
  
'Yeah, go ahead,' I peevishly thought to myself. 'Don't consult with me or anything. I wouldn't care anyway, right?'  
  
"Or you could just go as you are," Roxie pointed out. "As a teenager!"  
  
Both the girls burst into loud laughter, as did Robbie, and even Jamie managed a smile. I, however, saw nothing funny in the statement, and remained silently at my post, on the bonnet of my red truck.  
  
"Oh my God! That reminds me of something I was gonna tell you guys! Last night, I was talking to Kelly..." Roxie burst into a fresh bout of chatter, all matter of Jamie's lack of costume forgotten.  
  
I half-listened to them laughing, talking, joking, and felt a strange feeling coming from within. Like, my insides were empty. Literally. I remembered I hadn't had breakfast that morning. But, I also felt empty of everything. Empty of emotion. It was like peeling back the layers of a wrapped gift, to find an empty box.  
  
I mentally shook myself. This was getting way too psycho-crap for my liking.  
  
'Get a grip,' I scoffed inwardly, forcing myself to focus on the conversation at hand.  
  
"...and attacking the corporations directly is the way to go!" Caitie stated firmly.  
  
I rolled my eyes. Caitie was always going on about corporate plots and conspiracies and neglect for the environment. She'd somehow roped Roxie into it, and the two were our resident ecological-fanatics.  
  
"Yeah, but like they really care that they're dumping tonnes of chemical waste every year," Roxie commented, leaning back against the wall.  
  
"What are you saying? That we don't even try?"  
  
"Who really cares?" Robbie said dully.  
  
"I care!" Caitie replied forcefully.  
  
"Calm down, Caitie," Jamie kicked idly at the decrepit skateboard that was propped against the graffiti-covered metal door, and scooted back and forth on the spot, with one foot balanced on the contraption.  
  
I slipped off the truck and began to make my way around the bench.  
  
"It's Halloween," I spoke up. "What are we gonna do?"  
  
"Exactly, it's Halloween," Caitie went back to applying the black stuff around Robbie's eyes. "I think we should be trying to make a statement."  
  
"Yeah right," I smirked. "Teepeeing corporate logos in the industrial park is really gonna stop global warming!"  
  
The brunette put down the black make-up pen once again and stared up at me disbelievingly.  
  
"OK, so what's your idea of a perfect Halloween? Ringing doorbells and hiding in the bushes?"  
  
I opened my mouth to reply, but was beaten by Jamie, who chose to sneeze at that point.  
  
"Gesundheit," said Caitie automatically.  
  
"These allergies are killing me!" he muttered in annoyance, pushing past me to get away from the few straggly plants embedded by the side of the fence.  
  
"Come on guys, this is, this is our night! I mean, we gotta come up with something totally cutting edge!" I felt my mood starting to lift as my mind went into action.  
  
Our opportunities were endless tonight. It had to be something completely dangerous and risky. And regardless of what Caitie said, I was not going protesting with her. Tonight was, as I'd said, the night of us bleacher junkies, to dominate the world. Or, at least the small part of it that resided in Kingsport. Turning to Jamie, I grinned.  
  
"What do you say, James?"  
  
Jamie looked speechless for a split-second, before a regretful look passed his face.  
  
"I uh, I can't hang out with you guys tonight," he said, slightly uneasily, and he brushed past me again.  
  
"What?" I asked, a sense of shock hitting me. I hadn't been prepared for that.  
  
"Jamie, we always do Halloween together!" Even Caitie was surprised at his answer. Robbie and Roxie stayed silent, regarding the situation.  
  
"It's the busiest night of the year for EMTs. Everybody's on the schedule," Jamie said by way of explaining.  
  
"Come on man," I goaded. "Just call in sick!"  
  
"I can't," he replied with a slight shrug. "They said they really need me."  
  
"Oh." I smiled mock-knowingly. "They need me. They really, really need me! For what man, so you can hold doors open for them?"  
  
"I do a lot more than that, Kenny," Jamie replied quietly but forcefully.  
  
His eyes were dark and glaring, and I glared back at him, before I felt Caitie's elbow dig into me from the side. Oh. My mistake. Of course, Jamie did a lot more than that. How could I forget? He flew around and saved the world, all in one night, didn't he?  
  
"Jamie, Halloween's like a tradition," Caitie said in a calm voice, as if she was trying to reason him into staying with us. I looked down at the ground, seething inside. No harsh words for Jamie, no siree!  
  
"Especially with Kenny back from his dad's," she said, stealing a glance at me.  
  
I snorted to myself. Like that last part was really gonna change the mind of James 'Rockhead' Waite. What Jamie really needed was a good kick up the ass!  
  
"I told them, I'd be there," Jamie stated flatly, as he reached for his black leather jacket from the bench.  
  
I caught Roxie rolling her eyes, and I shook my head as I walked forward.  
  
"You know man, since you joined this little geek squad thing, you're completely brainwashed."  
  
I circled him as he slipped on his leather jacket, knowing I was really testing his patience.  
  
"I mean, next you'll be wearing polo shirts and running for class president!" I continued, grinning sarcastically.  
  
"Give it a rest," Jamie muttered warningly, as another sneeze overtook him.  
  
"See?" I pointed out half-triumphantly, with an ironic laugh. "Now he's allergic to us!"  
  
Robbie smiled from the bench, but Caitie, standing beside him, bit her lip, and I knew she thought I had gone too far.  
  
"Will you knock it off Kenny?!" Jamie whirled around to face me, his eyes flashing. "Look, I've got to work! That's it! It's got nothing to do with anything except I said I'd be there!"  
  
I regarded him silently, my own eyes narrowing as I let the sense of distaste course through my veins. I felt my jaw set while Jamie looked around at us in the silence.  
  
"I've got to go," he said finally, brushing past us again, and heading off towards the street.  
  
I unclenched my jaw and started to stalk down the lane after him. My intentions were cut short as Caitie intercepted my path and reached up with her hand to stop me.  
  
"Look, Kenny, just drop it, OK?" she pleaded, the uncertainty and worry in her voice apparent.  
  
I scowled at Jamie's retreating back, but halted all the same.  
  
"They need me! They really, really need me!" I called out sardonically after him, and watched with satisfaction as he faltered in his tracks, before shaking his head and walking on.  
  
I was aware of the silence once again prevailing, and that Caitie was staring at me. However, at that moment, I couldn't have cared less. Spinning on my heel, I headed to my truck.  
  
A/N. How strange...I have nothing to say. That's a first! I just had to put this here, because I always do...but this time, it's really about nothing! 


End file.
